This invention relates to the use of a lipid of the blackcurrant in the treatment of lipoprotein disorders associated with cholesterol metabolism.
Lipids circulate in the blood in the form of lipoproteins soluble in aqueous medium which consist of a lipidic nucleus of cholesterol esterified by fatty acids and triglycerides surrounded by a layer of proteins, phospholipids and free cholesterol. The arrangement of the various components characterizes the type of lipoprotein. Numerous epidemiological studies have demonstrated the preponderant role played by the lipoproteins in the development of atherosclerosis.
In simple terms, it is known that certain lipoproteins, known as low-density lipoproteins (LDL), represent a cardiovascular risk factor because there is a positive correlation between their presence at high levels in the bloodstream and atherosclerosis. By contrast, high-density lipoproteins (HDL ) represent an anti-cardiovascular risk factor because there is a negative correlation between their levels and the disease. There is thus a "good cholesterol" transported by the HDL which drain the cholesterol from the arterial wall and return it to the liver where it is catabolized. By contrast, the LDL deposit the cholesterol on the arterial wall.
It is known that oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids have the effect of reducing the total plasmatic cholesterol level (TC). However, studies have shown that the fall in the TC is due either to a concomitant reduction in the cholesterol of the LDL (CLDL) and the cholesterol of the HDL (CHDL) or to a reduction in the CLDL with no modification of the CHDL. According to D.V. Horrobin, et al., in Lipids, Vol. 18, No. 8, pages 558-561, this last case would be that of evening primrose oil.